Wheel.



M. M.- PRATT.

- WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-15, 1913.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

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amass-a To all whom it concern:

Be it known that l, MANNA M. PRATT, c1tiz'en of the United States, residing at Green City the county of Sullivan and State of 5 lvlissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in vehicle wheels more particularly to wheels employed upon automobiles and like vehicles, and has for one of 1ts ob ects to provide a wheel having a yieldable hub structure whereby a wheel is produced having all of the advantages of the ordinary pneumatic tire'without danger of puncture or the disintegration of the tire.

Another object of the invention is to pro- Vide a simply constructed device whereby the parts are readily renewable without dissecting the remainder of the wheels.

With these andother objects in vlew, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereafter shown and described. and then specifically pointed out in the claim; and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a'wheel constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged View of the hub portion of the improved wheel with the outer disk or web removed, and with the parts represented as under strain. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings Ly the same reference characters.

The improved wheel is adapted to be mounted upon an axle journal of ordinary construction and may be provided with aconventional ball hearing or not, as may be preferred. For the purpose of illustration. the el is shown. as supplied with a conventional ball bearing, and comprises amain hub memherlo mounted upon the axle journal represented at 11 with the anti-friction hearing balls 12, an adjustable stop collar 13 and nut 141 these parts being of the us construction. Extending from "on 'c .n integral disk or web integral flange 16 near c being located relaer end of the body of the portion of th r BXtBIlClll'l;

around t '1 10 is sleeve 18 Specification. of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 1%, 1913.

Patented oer. e, iota Serial Ito. 748,760.

from this sleeve is a disk or web 19 similar to the web 15 and bearing against the outer edges of the flange 16. The webs l5-l9 are coupled at suitable intervals by clamp bolts 20. Disposed between the webs or disks 1519 at their outer edges is an annu lar ring member 17 slidable between the members 1519. I

Directed inwardly from the annular mem ber 17 are a plurality of projections or enlargements 21 uniformly spaced apart and corresponding in number to the spokes of the wheel. Each of the projections 21 and the portion of the annular member 17 adjoining thereto is provided with a socket indicated at 22 and-preferably slightly tapered to receive the inner end of one of the spokes, the latter being represented at 23. The disk or web 15 is cut-away, as represented art-2e between the projections 21, while the plate .19 is likewise cut-away, as represented at 25., opposite the cut-away portions 24, to lighten the disks or webs, the portions of the webs between the cut-away portions being extended outwardly to form guards or guides 26 to the annular member. 17, as hereafter explained.

Pivoted at their inner ends at 28 in the flange 16 are a plurality of guide pins or rods 29 which extend through apertures in the member 17 and project beyond the same, as shown. The rods 29 are thus slidable through the apertures in the member. 17,

trated in Fig. 2, and thus prevent cramping of the parts.

The rods 29 are located midway between the spokes 23, and surrounding each rod between the flange 16 and the annular member 17 is a spring 30*. preferably in coiled forni and exerting its force to maintain the hub and its attachments normally in con centric relation to the annular member 17.

The rim or felly portion of the wheel is represented conventionally at 31 and receives the outer ends of the spokes 23, preferably in socket members 32. The rim 31 may be of any suitable form but for the purpose of illustration. :1 conventional metal rim is shown provided with a yieldable tire understood that it is not desired tolimit m v rare from all sides, maintain the annular member 17 in concentric relation to the axle journal 11 under a normal load, but when an abnormal load is applied to the vehicle the hub and its attachments will move downwardly, the rods 29 which, for the time being are located downwardly will move through the annular member 17 against the resistance of the springs 30, while the rods which for the time being are directed upwardly, will likewise move downwardly but will not exertf'any force against the springs, while the remaining rods will oscillate on their pivots 28 and slide through the rounded apertures of the memberl'? with a rolling movement and will thus be prevented from cramping. By this simple means, it will be obvious that a substantial, compact, and effectual spring hub is produced which will yield under abnormal pressure and absorb all concussions which may be imparted to the rim and prevent them from being communicated to the running gear or the body of the vehicle. In event of the wheel rim striking obstructions or sinking in cavities or depressionsthe same action will res'ult, but in areverse order, the springs ab sorbing the concussion and relieving the running gear from its effects.

lhe improved device is simple in construction, can be inexpensively manufactured and applied, and produces all of the bene- V ficial eflects of the pneumatic tire without danger of puncturing a tire.

'1 1e wheel may be constructed of any 'pl'oyed in connection with motor vehicles.

net

weight and applied to vehicles of any form or weight or employed for any purpose, but as before stated; is more particularly applicable to automobile wheels and wheels em- I The rods 29 areof suficient length to prevent them from being pulled out of the apertures in the flange 17 when the hub and its attachments are depressed to their greatest extent. A dust cap 34 is located uponthe hub, as shown.

Having thus described the invention What is claimed is:

A wheel including a hub, an inneh Web integral with said hub, an annular bearing flange integral with said Web, a sleeve slidable on,the hub an outer Web integral with said sleeve, said vouter web bearing against the extremity of the flange and being spaced thereby from the inner Web, a cap carried by the hub and bearin against the sleeile to, holdthe web forme integral with said sleeve in engagement with the flange, meahs for connecting said webs together, an annular member slidably mounted between said Webs externally of the'supporting flange, a plurality of radially disposed rods extending through the supporting flange and piv- 

